We need funding for gender neutral sports pavilions
In the lead up to the 2022 Victorian election we are calling for Victorian Government funding to upgrade sports pavilions to encourage greater participation in community sport.
Participation in organised sport and recreation has health, wellbeing and social connection benefits for individuals and the community as a whole.
We are seeking up to $22.2 million in Victorian Government funding to speed up select upgrades to encourage greater participation by girls and women in organised sport including AFL, soccer, athletics and cricket. The upgrades are increasingly important to provide welcoming facilities to address recent drops in participation in organised sport due to COVID-19 impacts.
We are seeking up to $22.2 million funding across upgrades of the following sports pavilions:
- Brighton Beach Oval Pavilion
- Boss James Pavilion
- Dendy Park Athletics Pavilion
- Moorabbin West Oval Pavilion
- Peterson Reserve Pavilion
- Sillitoe Pavilion.
These pavilions support a range of sport and activity from community grassroots up to sub elite sport.
Our advocacy leading into the 2022 Victorian election is focused on priorities that support the aspirations of the Bayside 2050 Community Vision and actions in the Council Plan 2021-2025.
Why it is important for Bayside
Inclusive, gender neutral facilities increase participation by women and girls as well as accommodate all ability athletes. Welcoming, inclusive recreation infrastructure such as pavilions also create places for the community to meet, fostering socials connections and a sense of belonging.
Recreation infrastructure across Bayside was typically constructed in the 1950s and 60s and many facilities are not inclusive of women, girls or all ability athletes. We have a plan to upgrade all Bayside’s 27 sporting pavilions and have completed 15 developments to date.
Muhammad Kiki, President Moorabbin Kangaroos Football Club, said that a new pavilion at Moorabbin West Oval would give the club a tremendous boost.
“A new pavilion would be massive for this club. It would mean the world to us, for young girls like Fay and young boys like Lachlan, Logan and Jordan and Lachlan for their future. We are a local community football club where everyone who lives in the area knows us, they are all welcome here, especially all the community members here on a Saturday helping us out as volunteers. We’d love to have our own women’s football team and our own junior development program. That’s our future.”
Find out more about our advocacy priorities for the 2022 Victorian election.
